Now Oxford Community Schools can really say it can prepare its students to compete in a global world that is changing 24/7.

It was announced on Tuesday, April 19 that OCS, along with Beijing Channel Consulting and Northeast Yucai Education Group of Shenyang, China, will form a partnership to establish an international Oxford High School for students in both the United States and China.

The international high school, Northeast Yucai Oxford International High School (NYO), will be a tuition-based, grade 10-12 school located in Shenyang, China.

Skilling told WJR 760AM anchorman Steve Courtney in a live interview from China on the morning of Thursday, April 21, the school is looking to begin with 100 students in 10th grade during the first year and expand to 11th grade in the second year and 12th grade in their third year.

Skilling added the school has a capacity for 500 students.

Skilling was not able to provide any additional information about the school by press time.

According to the press release sent by the district, the parties involved signed a cooperative agreement to "provide a platform of quality education and educational resources for students in the United States and China."

According to the school district's website, the International School will be located on the campus of Northeast Yucai Fushan School and will be administered by Madam Xing, the Vice Principal of Northeast Yucai Fushan School.

"This agreement is a two-way agreement where students from China would come to Oxford and students in Oxford would have the opportunity to study and learn in China," Skilling said in the interview.

"Not only did we want to have students come here from China to help to live and work in a global world and help them with their Mandarin Chinese, we also felt it was important for our kids to go to China as well," he added.

Skilling told Courtney he believed this school was the first school of its kind in China.

"I talked to numerous leaders in our country as well as in China, and they believe this is a first where you have two schools getting together to create an international high school," Skilling said in the interview.

"You have international schools in United States and China, but those schools are usually started by corporations or universities to support students of foreign families that are located there for three or four years," he added.

According to the press release, the school will follow Oxford's high school curriculum, utilizing the same textbooks, frameworks and practices.

The release stated American teachers for the NYO will be trained by Oxford staff.

The press release also stated students attending NYO will have the opportunity to study for three years in a bilingual learning environment and "have the flexibility to attend school for three years in China, two years in China and one year in the United States or one year in China and two years in the United States."

In addition, students will earn both an American and Chinese diploma. For students who spend all three years studying in China, they will be prepared to take either the National Chinese Entrance Exams or the ACT test, according to the press release.

The official signing ceremony took place on Wednesday, April 20 at the Northeast Yucai International School campus in Shenyang, China.

Along with Skilling, attendees at the ceremony included Dr. Gao Chen, Principal of the Northeast Yucai School, Principal Xing of the Northeast Yucai Fushan School and Yao Xuyang, the Executive Director of Beijing Channel Consulting, Ltd., the financial and reporting arm of the partnership.